To compete or not to compete: that is the question.

 In our sedentary lifestyle as adults, far too many experts advise us to exercise, practise a sport, in order to unwind tension, to keep in good physical condition, to unload our minds and by consequence we will perform better in our daily tasks, feel more in control, more confident. Great! But when you decide to practice a sport as an adult, you will find yourself at some point being confronted by a very specific question: How 'far' do I go committing myself to it? Only for recreation? Hanging out and having fun rivalling against each other? or taking it a step further and start competing / eventing? I've done the first and loved every single minute of it! I loved all the archery games I played outdoors, the indoor 'competitions' pursuing the best possible score amongst laughter and teasing. I also did that with my equestrian friends: riding, taking the time to enjoy the sunniest winter day, the most beautiful summer sunset having a ball with our horses 'chasing' one another in the arena, enjoying the company of our equine friends and each other's. But what happens when 'competition' enters the picture and sets itself in the sport of your choice? When there is a shift in your focus from 'enjoying' to 'competing'/ 'eventing'?

The fun part for some may start looking dim as you force yourself to pay more attention to performance during your training and by consequence to your coach. Suddenly there is a shift - you focus more on your coach, as he/ she becomes your mirror. You reflect what he/she puts in, or what you think is being put in. Your anxiety, your adult obligations might start playing havoc and your confidence begins to fade, so panic kicks in as hear your coach time on end pointing out to you for the billionth time that you are doing it all wrong. And this is where things get really tricky because now you are no longer doing a sport for fun, you are pursuing competitiveness and apt performance making your coach your fundamental mirror so when you don't reflect back what is expected things can go overtly wrong. There is an obvious breakdown in communication between the potential competitor and his/her coach summoning the latter to correct that reflection, something that is easier said than done. So before you consciously decide how far do you want to go with your choice of sport, inevitably you will be confronted by another question: ' and coached / trained by whom'.